Not a common car at all in the UK now, but in its day a very successful rally car, winning the African Safari Rally consecutive years from 1979 to 1982.
Adding to the "its not an Escort" theme which seems to be gaining pace, this car is being built to compete in UK MSA events and, as long as budget allows, the 2015 East African Safari event!
First off, the starting point!
About as good a Violet as you are likely to find on a sensible budget in the UK!
Time to strip it down and introduce it to the blaster!
A few sore looking areas exposed:
Blasted and zinc phosphate primed to prevent any rust starting during the rebuild, its time to move into the fabrication bay for some repair work!
Most of this was as expected, but the sills were a lot worse internally than they appeared, and they are a pretty complex structure on these cars! Also of note, is that all repair sections were fabricated, as none are really available any more!
Ignoring the sill itself for a moment, the rear sill to wheelarch area, not a five min job!
Under the outer sill:
Close up:
Remove the area:
Fabricate new metal:
Weld it in:
And the middle section:
Then rebuild the next bit:
Finally the outer bit:
You'd never know!
A look at the bottom of the front strut towers on the inner wings!
Its a bit like time team working out what shape these bits should be!
Not too bad a likeness though......
And welded in:
Almost seems a shame to do all this and then pummel it down gravel stages and on an event where body shells are generally scrapped afterwards, BUT, as the saying goes, if a job's worth doing, its worth doing right. Same goes for anything whatever its "worth"
.
Inner sill structure was generally rather poorly:
So a new section was fabricated, a bit fiddly, but it came out quite nice!
Driver's foot well wasn't too clever, so chopped it out
...
Made a new bit:
And welded it in:
The circles are marking pinholes in a couple of welds that are to be welded up
.
Adding to the "its not an Escort" theme which seems to be gaining pace, this car is being built to compete in UK MSA events and, as long as budget allows, the 2015 East African Safari event!
First off, the starting point!
About as good a Violet as you are likely to find on a sensible budget in the UK!
Time to strip it down and introduce it to the blaster!
A few sore looking areas exposed:
Blasted and zinc phosphate primed to prevent any rust starting during the rebuild, its time to move into the fabrication bay for some repair work!
Most of this was as expected, but the sills were a lot worse internally than they appeared, and they are a pretty complex structure on these cars! Also of note, is that all repair sections were fabricated, as none are really available any more!
Ignoring the sill itself for a moment, the rear sill to wheelarch area, not a five min job!
Under the outer sill:
Close up:
Remove the area:
Fabricate new metal:
Weld it in:
And the middle section:
Then rebuild the next bit:
Finally the outer bit:
You'd never know!
A look at the bottom of the front strut towers on the inner wings!
Its a bit like time team working out what shape these bits should be!
Not too bad a likeness though......
And welded in:
Almost seems a shame to do all this and then pummel it down gravel stages and on an event where body shells are generally scrapped afterwards, BUT, as the saying goes, if a job's worth doing, its worth doing right. Same goes for anything whatever its "worth"
.
Inner sill structure was generally rather poorly:
So a new section was fabricated, a bit fiddly, but it came out quite nice!
Driver's foot well wasn't too clever, so chopped it out
...
Made a new bit:
And welded it in:
The circles are marking pinholes in a couple of welds that are to be welded up
.
